Type font particularly adapted for producing chemical notations



M. GORDON Aug. 23, 1966 CHEMICAL NOTATIONS 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Dec. 25, 1964 FDO FZEl mMFDQEOU mwhDmEOU BWMW .8 mm mm .3 N 01 wm wn 3 T 0 m 55558 mas. o. was. 5E- z8 93: E E E5 ozvzuza 5551:. m

64m: 02-04mm ATTORNEYS M. GORDON Aug. 23, 1966 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 TYPE FONT PARTICULARLY ADAPTED FOR PRODUCIN CHEMICAL NOTATIONS Filed Dec. 23 1964 ATTORNEYS 3,267,852 UCING M. GORDON Aug. 23, 1966 TYPE FONT PARTICULARLY ADAPTED FOR PROD CHEMICAL NOTATIONS 5 Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed Dec. 23 1964 INVENTOR. MAXWELL GORDON BY ATTORNEYS United States Patent 3,267,852 TYPE FONT PARTECULARLY ADAPTED FOR PRODUCING CHEMICAL NOTATIONS Maxwell Gordon, Ellrins Park, Pa, assignor to Smith Kline 8: French Laboratories, Philadelphia, Pa., a corporation of Pennsylvania Filed Dec. 23, 1964, Ser. No. 420,676 19 Claims. (Cl. 101-399) This invention relates to a sequential character producing device and more particularly relates to such a device which is useful for producing two and threedimensional chemical structures. Since a typewriter is typical, the invention will be discussed using a typewriter as illustrative.

The availability of typewriters in combination with means to record in a code on a tape or the like the subject matter being typed, typically a punching head for punching a paper tape, and the availability of computers for the storage of coded information has resulted in the production of special type fonts for typewriters which permit the typing and encoding on a tape or the like two-dimensional chemical structures. Such heretofore known chemical typewriters have required the employment of half horizontal and vertical spacing in order to produce the desired chemical structures. These half spacings make it impossible to produce an economical tape output. Other developments have been with complex custom-built linotype machines which are enormously expensive as constrasted to the cost of a typewriter. This invention has solved the deficiencies of the prior art devices in part by employing novel space override features that permit the use of conventional typewriters and the normal horizontal and vertical spacing of such typewriters so as to produce an eflicient and economic encoded output of a tape or the like.

The invention and its objects will be fully understood from a reading of the following description in conjunction with the drawings, in which:

FIGURE 1 is a schematic view of a conventional typewriter-computer organization wherein a typewriter is employed to encode information which is supplied to the computer and information supplied by the computer can be typed by the typewriter;

FIGURE 2 is a diagrammatic view illustrating the orientation of type elements which respect to type fields;

FtlGURE 3 is a mirror image of type hammers in accordance with the invention forming the type font for a typewriter; and

FIGURES 4 through 16 are views of chemical structures illustrating their formation by the employment of the type font of FIGURE 3.

Referring now to FIGURE 1, there is shown an electric typewriter 1 associated with a paper tape reading head 2, encoder and tape punch device 3, a paper tape to magnetic tape converter 4, the tape output of which is introduced into the memory of a computer 5 which is associated with a print out mechanism 6 which can have a font substantially the same as typewriter 1 to provide a printed readout from the computer. Alternatively, print out may be achieved by taking the output from the computer on the magnetic tape and converting to a punched tape by converter 7 and sup-plying the punched tape to reading head 2 to produce a typed readout by typewriter 1. No further detail with respect to these well known mechanisms is deemed necessary except with respect to the type (printing) characters of the invention which will now be described.

The type characters of the invention will be most readily understood with reference to FIGURE 2. Here the type field is shown in the form of a shaded rectangle. The type field 20 is of a width equal to the horizontal spacing Patented August 23, 1966 width of any conventional typewriter with which the type characters are to be associated, for example, or and of a height equal to the vertical spacing of the typewriter selected, for example, /6". This field will, of course, vary from typewriter to typewriter, but each typewriter has a predetermined type field. The type characters will be described and claimed with respect to their relationship of the type fields.

The field 20 shown in FLIGURE 2 is the immediate type field, that is the field in which the next symbol will be imprinted by the typewriter. Illustrated is a typical typewriter type field measuring wide by /6" high enlarged three times. The fields adjacent field 20 are diagonally adjacent field 22, side adjacent field 24, diagonally adjacent field 26, bottom adjacent field 28, diagonally adjacent field 30, side adjacent field 32, diagonally adjacent field 34 and top adjacent field 36 with the center of each of these fields being given a corresponding prime number. The basic full length vertical and sloping straight line printing characters of the invention are made so as to have a height equal to the height of a type field, (Le, a height equal to the vertical spacing) and to have each terminal end terminating at the center of a type field. The full length horizontal straight line printing characters each are two fields in width and have each terminal end terminating at the center of a type field. As thus constituted, the type characters are novel in extending beyond the conventionally used type field. It will be evident that each type character can be joined at either end with either end of any other type character.

A typical type full length character is shown in FIG- URE 2 extending from center 32' to center 22'. It will be evident that other sloping type characters can be formed to extend between center 34' and 24, 30 and 24', and 32' and 26. Horizontal straight line type characters can extend between centers 30' and 26, 32' and 24, and 34 and 22. Vertical straight line type characters can extend between centers 32 and 34', 32 and 30', 36 and the center of field 20, the center of field 20 and 28', 22' and 24 and 24 and 26. With respect to the aforesaid sloping horizontal and vertical straight line characters, they will normally partially overlie the immediate type field 20 and extend beyond it. An exception is seen in the fact that it may be convenient to have the full length horizontal straight line character lie totally above the typing field, Le, 34' to 22, so as to join sloping characters 32 to 2 2' and 34' and 24' without changing the typing line.

The thus described type characters form a nucleus type font suitable for typing chemical formula ring structures where unsaturation does not require the showing of double bonds and where hetero atoms do not have to be shown. The invention also encompasses additional type characters wherein there are employed the straight line printing characters above described in conjunction with additional straight lines for the indication of a double bond. Additionally, the invention contemplates type characters similar to the first discussed group of type characters but foreshortened in order to leave room for the insertion of the symbol for a hetero atom. It will be noted that the intersection of the extensions of foreshortened type characters is at the center of a type field which corresponds with a typewriter key which has not been employed, thus permitting ready insertion of a hetero atom and the encoding thereof onto a tape.

Reference is now made to FIGURE 3 where a typical type font is shown. For purposes of simplification, the type font is shown in the form of a mirror image in order that the imprint made by each type character may be more readily visualized. Further, in view of the enlarged scale and to further implement ready comprehension, the type bases are oriented in the positions of the corresponding typewriter keys rather than in the positions they would actually occupy at the ends of the keys. The type font comprises lower case type characters designated by numerals from 51 through 108 on type bases having corresponding A numbers which are mounted on the terminal end-s of conventional typewriter keys (not shown) Each .type character is provided with a background of type field 20 shown in phantom to clarify the orientation of the type character. Each type base has an upper case character to provide the font with usually employed numerals, letters and symbols as shown in FIGURE 3.

As will be obvious from the initial discussion, full length sloping type characters 51 and 52 and vertical typing character 53, an alternate form of which is shown at 54, and horizontal type character 56 form a complete set of type characters for the formation of 3, 4, and 6 member saturated hydrocarbon rings. A cyclohexane ring is illustrated in FIGURE 4, cyclobutane in FIG- UR E 5 and in FIGURE 6 cyclohexane is shown in an alternate orientation, the bonds being given prime numbers corresponding to the numbers of the type characters employed to form them here and in the following description. While the formation of these structures is believed to be obvious, the details of forming the ring of FIGURE 4 will be given, in sequence of striking the typewrite keys and space bars as follows: character 53-up one spacecharacter 52right one sp-acechar-acter 5|1dOWl'l one spacecharacter 53-left two spaces and down one space-character 52left three spacescharacter 51. It will be borne in mind that on striking each character key the typewrite automatically spaces one space to the right.

Variations in the formation of these structures of FIGURES 4 through 6 are obviously possible. Thus, for example, in FIGURE 4 the bond 53' could have been produced of type character 54.

Sloping and vertical double bond characters 57, 58 and 59 are provided and their use illustrated in FIGURE 7 by bonds 57', 58' and 59' employed with bonds 51' and 52. Similarly, double bond characters 60, 61 and 62 with their short bonds respectively on the opposite side from that found in characters 57, 5:8 and 59 are provided for the occasions where it is necessary to place the double bond in such a position, for example in the case of a fused ring structure, as is fragmentarily shown in FIGURE 8 illustrating the use of type character 6t) to make bond 60 associated with bonds 52 and 53'.

One of the marked advantages of this invention is the facility with which it permits the encoding of hetero atoms existing in ring structures onto a punched paper tape. This result stems from the fact that the basic type characters discussed above extend beyond their imme diate type field to join the impression of another type character at the center of an adjacent type field. It is, of course, at such a juncture Where it is desired to place a hetero atom and this can be done by typing the symbol for the desired hetero atom in the type field where this juncture occurs. In this event the symbol for the hetero atoms would normally in part overlie the bonds which have their juncture in this field. However, by using the shortened bonds, there will be no overlap since the immediate field for the hetero atom is not the immediate field for either of the bonds being joined therein. It will be evident that there is no coding problem occasioned by the insertion of a hetero atom.

Sloping type characters 65 and 66 are shortened at their lower ends as the sloping double bond character 67, 68, 69 and 70. These characters correspond to type characters 51, 52, 57, 61, 60 and 58, respectively, but are shortened at their lower ends. Similarly, the corresponding type characters 71, 7-2, 73, 74, 75 and 76 are shortened at their upper end-s. correspondingly, single bond type characters 77 and 78 are shortened vertical single bonds while vertical type characters 79, and 80, 81 and 82 are shortened vertical double bonds having one end terminating at the center of a type field.

The insertion of an N to indicate a nitrogen atom at the juncture of shortened bond 71 and 72 is illustrated in FIGURE 9, the N being typed by employing the N of type base 102A.

The use of a representative number of the shortened type characters is shown in FIGURE 10 where bonds made by type characters 65, 66, 69 and are illustrated by the corresponding bonds numbered 65', 66', 69' and 80'.

Character 85 is a shortened horizontal line to take care of the situation where a hetero atom is to be shown at either end of a horizontal bar as is illustrated in FIG- URE 11 where a nitrogen atom is shown at either end of bond 86. Similarly, foreshortened double bonds may be imprinted from characters 88 or 9% when the double bond is on the upper part of the ring or the lower part of the ring, respectively. Similarly, when there is to be a hetero atom placed at either end of a sloping single or double bond, the bond can be obtained from characters 92, 94, 96 or 8, the employment of character 94 being illustrated by the bond 94' with a nitrogen atom at either end thereof in FIGURE 12.

Characters 102 and 104 are provided to accommodate the situation where a horizontal bond has a hetero atom adjacent only one end of the bond, namely, adjacent the right hand end of bond 102 and adjacent the left-hand end of bond 104 as is illustrated by the bond 102 in FIG- URE 12 and 164' in FIGURE 13, each of which is combined with a bond 86'. The double bond shown in FIG- URE 13 as indicated is formed by the employment of character 56 to make bond portion 56' and character 0 to make bond portion it being appreciated that the lower portion of character 90 will simply overlie bond portion 56. Similarly, if the double bond were to be rnade on the upper portion of the ring, character 56 and character 88 would be employed.

Character 106 is a horizontal line employed in the formation of seven membered rings as illustrated in FIGURE 14. While bond 106"is overlapped by bonds 71' and 72', this is perfectly acceptable.

Additional characters in accordance with the invention are employed in order to provide three-dimensional chemical structures. These additional characters all extend along a line between the centers of type fiel-d which are diagonally adjacent to another type field, for example, they extend from the center of a type field through a corner thereof to the center of a diagonally adjacent type field. Thus, with reference to FIGURE 2, these additional characters are exemplified (but not shown in FIG- URE 2) by a character extending from the center of type field 20 to the center of type field 22, type field 26, type field 39 or type field 34. Referring now to FIGURE 3, type characters 107 and 108 are such type characters. The employment of type character 108 is illustrated in FIGURE 15 wherein bonds 168' are employed along with a pair of adjacent bonds 53', 53' at the corners and pairs of bonds 56' and 104 to make a three dimensional structural representation of cub-ane.

The employment of type character 167 to form bonds 107 along with bonds 51' and 56' to make a three dimensional structural representation of the cyclohexane chair form is illustrated in FIGURE 16.

In FIGURE 3 a type base 0.25" wide and 0.75" high and a type field wide and high are illustrated in double scale. While these dimensions are convenient ones to use in carrying out the invention and are readily employed with a bulletin cage, they may be varied to suit the other typewriter elements employed.

The type font of the invention can be made readily by the casting techniques employed to make the conventional type font for a typewriter.

It will be understood that the above specific embodiment is merely illustrative and not limiting.

What is claimed is:

1. In a sequential character producing device having a character field having a width equal to the distance of a single character spacing movement of the device and a height equal to the distance of a single line spacing movement of the device, a plurality of characters each overlying portions of at least two character fields and extending along a line between the centers of two character fields, said characters comprising at least a vertical character, a sloping character, and a second sloping character having a slope equal to and opposite to the slope of the first mentioned sloping character.

2. A device in accordance with claim 1 in which at least some of the characters extend from a character field center to a second character field center.

3. A device in accordance with claim 1 in which the character producing device is a typewriter.

4. In a sequential character producing device having a character field having a width equal to the distance of a single character spacing movement of the device and a height equal to the distance of a single line spacing movement of the device, a plurality of characters each overlying portions of at least two character fields and extending along a line between the centers of two character fields, said characters comprising at least a sloping character, a second sloping character having a slope equal to and opposite to the slope of the first mentioned sloping character, and a horizontal character.

5. A device in accordance with claim 4 in which at least some of the characters extend from a character field center to a second character field center.

6. A device in accordance with claim 4 in which the character producing device is a typewriter.

7. In a sequential character producing device having a character field having a width equal to the distance of a single character spacing movement of the device and a height equal to the distance of a single line spacing movement of the device, a vertical character connecting the centers of two adjacent character fields, a sloping character overlying a character field and connecting the centers of two character fields adjacent said character field which it overlies, a second sloping character overlying a character field and connecting the centers of two character fields adjacent said character field which it overlies, said second sloping type character having a slope equal and opposite to that of the first mentioned sloping character.

8. A device in accordance with claim 7 in which the character producing device is a typewriter.

9. In a sequential character producing device having a character field having a width equal to the distance of a single character spacing movement of the device and a height equal to the distance of a single line spacing movement of the device, a horizontal character overlying a character field and connecting the centers of two character fields adjacent to said field which it overlies, a sloping character overlying a character field and connecting the centers of two character fields adjacent said character field which it overlies, a second sloping character overlying a character field and connecting the centers of two character fields adjacent said character field which it overlies, said second sloping type character having a slope equal and opposite to that of the first mentioned sloping character.

10. A device in accordance with claim 9 in which the character producing device is a typewriter.

11. In a sequential character producing device having a character field having a width equal to the distance of a single character spacing movement of the device and a height equal to the distance of a single line spacing movement of the device, a vertical character extending along a vertical line between the centers of two adjacent character fields, a sloping character overlying a character field and extending along a line between the center of a character field adjacent a side of the character field which the sloping character overlies and the center 6 of a character field diagonally adjacent the character field which the sloping character overlies, and a second sloping character overlying a character field and extending along a line between the center of a character field adjacent a side of the character field which the second character overlies and the center of a character field diagonally adjacent the character field which the second sloping character overlies, said second sloping character having a slope equal and opposite to that'of the first mentioned sloping character.

12. A device in accordance with claim 11 in which at least some of the characters extend from a character field center to a second character field center.

13. A device in accordance with claim 11 in which the character producing device is a typewriter,

14. In a sequential character producing device having a character field having a width equal to the distance of a single character spacing movement of the device and a height equal to the distance of a single line spacing movement of the device, a horizontal character overlying a character field and extending along a line between the centers of two character fields adjacent to said field which it overlies, a sloping character overlying a character field and extending along a line between the center of a character field adjacent a side of the character field which the sloping character overlies and the center of a character field diagonally adjacent the character field which the sloping character overlies, and a second sloping character overlying a character field and extending along a line between the center of a character field adjacent a side of the character field which the second character overlies and the center of a character field diagonally adjacent the character field which the second sloping character overlies, said second sloping character having a slope equal and opposite to that of the first mentioned sloping character.

15. A device in accordance with claim 14 in which at least some of the characters extend from a character field center to a second character field center.

16. A device in accordance with claim 14 in which the character producing device is a typewriter.

17. In a sequential character producing device having a character field having a width equal to the distance of a single character spacing movement of the device and a height equal to the distance of a single line spacing movement of the device, a horizontal character overlying .a character field and extending along a line between the centers of two character fields adjacent to said field which it overlies, a vertical character extending along a vertical line between the centers of two adjacent character fields, a sloping character overlying a character field and extending along a line between the center of a character field adjacent a side of the character field which the sloping character overlies and the center of a character field diagonally adjacent the character field which the sloping character overlies, and a second sloping character overlying a character field and extending along a line between the center of a character field adjacent a side of the character field which the second character overlies and the center of a character field diagonally adjacent the character field which the second sloping character overlies, said second sloping character having a slope equal and opposite to that of the first mentioned sloping character.

18. A device in accordance with claim 17 in which at least some of the characters extend from a character field center to a second character field center.

19. A device in accordance with claim 17 in which the character producing device is a typewriter.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 356,245 1/1887 Greene et al, l97--1 637,109 11/1899 Haddad 101399 (Other references on following page) 7 UNITED STATES PATENTS Tcherkassov et a1 101399 Fortoni 1978 Muller 1971.1

OHare 197-1 Harvey 101399 Cooke 101398 X Tauschek 101-399 X Schuler 1978 Brumbaugh 3 2,631,711 3/1953 Barbee et a1 101399 X 3,112,693 12/1963 .Williams 101399 X 3,190,957 6/1965 Foley et a1. 101-399 X FOREIGN PATENTS 27,404 6/ 1930 Australia. 146,743 9/ 1962 Russia.

ROBERT E. PULFREY, Primary Examiner.

197 1 1 10 E. S. BURR, Assistant Examiner. 

1. IN A SEQUENTIAL CHARACTER PRODUCING DEVICE HAVING A CHARACTER FIELD HAVING A WIDTH EQUAL TO THE DISTANCE OF A SINGLE CHARACTER SPACING MOVEMENT OF THE DEVICE AND A HEIGHT EQUAL TO THE DISTANCE OF A SINGLE LINE SPACING MOVEMENT OF THE DEVICE, A PLURALITY OF CHARACTERS EACH OVERLYING PORTIONS OF AT LEAST TWO CHARACTER FIELDS AND EXTENDING ALONG A LINE BETWEEN THE CENTERS OF TWO CHAR- 